Nigel de Jong described Virgil van Dijk as the 'first one to go in the battles' as he leads the Netherlands at his first major tournament for his country.
The Liverpool defender was yet to play on the biggest stage of them all for his country after failing to qualify in 2016 and 2018 while cruelly missing the 2020 Euros with his ACL injury.
At the age of 31, Van Dijk comes into the Qatar World Cup as captain of his nation as he looks to guide them deep into the competition.